Diamond-Cut Life is about more joy and less stuff. It's written by a mostly joyful person (me) who feeds her happiness by putting people, nature and God ahead of buying more stuff. That's a fairly subversive thing to do and promote these days. It breaks the culture's unspoken rules that we've got to consume a ...
Bright Shiny Objects
I went to a Habitat For Humanity fundraiser at the Nines here in Portland on Friday night, excited because I love their mission of building stable, affordable housing for low-income families. My husband and I have donated steadily to Habitat over the last five years. But I came away disillusioned, blinded by the event's bright shiny objects. The items ...
The Art Of Self-Entertaining
Happy autumn equinox! The equinox actually falls two days from now on Saturday, but since I post on Thursdays and Sundays, here a few ideas now on how to celebrate the autumn equinox. This post also sparks further ideas. What is your favorite source of entertainment? Is it watching TV, (more…)
Portlandia On Mount Tabor
For my readers outside the U.S., Portlandia is a comedy TV show that makes fun of (more…)
Are You A Cultural Creative?
If you've landed here at Diamond-Cut Life, the chances are good that you're a cultural creative. I learned not long ago that I am one. This outside-the-box group is almost 25% of the U.S. population, according to extensive research done by Sherry Ruth Anderson and Paul H. Ray. Here are the main characteristics of cultural ...
We Found A Housemate!
Just a brief post to note that we finally found a housemate to help us fill up our house and practice community. (more…)
The Best Things In Life: Free, Or Not?
What are the best things in life? Are they free, or do they depend on money? How much do you have of those best things? Note: Every month I give away an excellent book that gives a different take on how to be rich in what matters. To enter the drawing, subscribe by email to Diamond-Cut Life, on your ...
Top Ten Things To Happily Live Without, Part II
Last month's edition of this proved so popular, I've written a sequel. The premise of the diamond-cut life is that joy and well-being come from what we do and who we are with, not from possessions that are costly to both us and the planet. 1. Cable television. The average cost for cable TV in the ...
Top Ten Things To Happily Live Without
Quality of life and joy generally come from what we do and who we are with, not from the things in our life. Feel free to post a comment on what thing or item you'd be just as happy without. Bottled water. Thumbs up on drinking lots of water; thumbs down ...
Who You Calling A Hippie?
Today’s post is on the lighter side. A reader in Arizona has suggested that I am a hippie. Or, to be more specific, he wrote I am “definitely much more of a hippie” than he himself is. Hmm. His tone was friendly enough, but I’ve been pondering this hippie business, this label, for a couple of weeks. ...
